Tawazun CEO Highlights New Mandate, Priorities, and Partnership Opportunities

Share

Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on linkedin

23 May 2022

The U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council hosted a small, private dinner on 23 May with His Excellency Tareq Al Hosani, the CEO of Tawazun. This dinner provided an opportunity for senior U.S. and U.A.E. defense and aerospace executives to better understand Tawazun’s new mandate and its relationship with the Ministry of Defense in managing U.A.E. defense procurements and economic development. This dinner was organized in conjunction with the Global Aerospace Summit, taking place May 24th – May 26th in Abu Dhabi.

His Excellency discussed the ongoing transformation of Tawazun, and its new roles and responsibilities. Since 1992, Tawazun has had a long and proud record driving economic value through the Tawazun Economic Program, facilitating ecosystem growth and human capability development through global and local partnerships, and empowering innovation through the defense and security R&D ecosystem. Now, Tawazun is also the U.A.E. defense and security acquisitions authority for the U.A.E. Armed Forces and Abu Dhabi Police.



Tawazun CEO H.E. Tareq Al Hosani and U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council President Danny Sebright


His Excellency detailed what this means for industry, particularly with Tawazun acting as a “catalyst for research and development.” He outlined the current procurement process and offered recommendations for industry to engage in this process effectively. His Excellency added that more changes were in the works to further clarify and streamline the procurement process in the future.

HIs Excellency and other senior Tawazun Executives also reviewed important developments related to the U.A.E.’s offsets program and the Tawazun Investment Fund. He elaborated on the current focus areas of U.A.E. leadership, and he spoke of his vision for the future of these programs.  The Tawazun team discussed Tawazun’s plans to play a larger role in education and recruiting in the future and told industry executives that they would soon be receiving an official request to participate in the SEEDS program.

His Excellency also outlined the U.A.E.’s current acquisition priorities and the ways in which U.S. companies can participate. With regard to offsets, he encouraged U.S. industry to propose innovative ideas to Tawazun even outside the defense sector, as one of Tawazun’s aims is “translating the connectivity between the commercial and military worlds.” His Excellency also noted that U.S. companies are among Tawazun’s preferred partners, stressing that U.S. industry has “the volume and the relationship with the commercial world to make things happen.”
For more information on the Business Council’s programming in the aerospace and defense vertical please contact Rachel Carrillo at rcarrillo@usuaebusiness.org.